A U.S. Coast Guard Mission Since 1917

The horrific attacks on 9-11. and the
subsequent increase in maritime security
required to protect against asymmetric
maritime attacks, has dramatically
changed the U. S. Coast Guard. They
have changed the service's emphasis on
port security as well as its ethos in the
eyes of the nation it serves. Previously,
the Coast Guard received national media
attention mostly when it was involved in
a dramatic at-sea rescue leaving a public
perception of the service as lifesavers.
Since 9-11, because of its port security
efforts and its overall role in Homeland
Security, the Coast Guard has received
more national level public, political and
media attention than at any other time in
its long history and its public image is
rapidly shifting from lifesaver to protector.
Consider the following examples.

The President has made several nationally
televised addresses on Homeland
Security from Coast Guard bases, a
recognition and experience new to all
who currently serve in the Coast Guard.
During the recent Fleet Week activities
in New York City CNN's Headline News
replayed images of Coast Guard small
boats operating within the harbor providing
a visible presence in one of
America's busiest ports. National and
local media everywhere have continuously
filmed and reported on the Coast
Guard's increased presence in the ports
and waterways of the U.S.

All of this attention has left some,
including some within the Coast Guard,
with the impression that port security is
a new role for the Coast Guard; it is not.
The Coast Guard has been responsible
for the security of America's ports and
waterways for nearly 87 years. Port
security is a Coast Guard legacy mission
that has been continuously performed to
varying degrees, but always moves to
the forefront of the service's activities
whenever the homeland is being threatened.
As we face this newest threat to
our internal security, it is useful to
examine the history of the Coast Guard
in port security to better understand the
service's roles, responsibilities and
authorities for protecting the U.S.

Maritime Transportation System.

The origins of the Coast Guard's role
in port security date back to 1917 and
the enactment of the Espionage Act following
the highly destructive sabotage
of a munitions terminal at Black Tom
Island, NJ. Since that time, a progression
of laws, including the Magnuson
Act of 1950, the Ports and Waterways
Safety Act (PWSA) of 1972 and most
recently the Maritime Transportation
Act (MTSA) of 2002 have assigned and
refined the Coast Guard's roles and
responsibilities for the safety and security
of our ports and waterways. Each
new law was implemented in response
to very real threats posed to U.S. ports
during both World Wars, the Korean
War, the Cold War, and now the global
war on terrorism. The goal of these laws
was to give the Coast Guard the authorities
it needed to ensure our maritime
security, essential to ensuring our economic
survival. '
The Espionage Act was the result of one
of the first foreign terrorist attacks ever
conducted inside the territorial United
States. This spotlight event, which ignited
public interest in port security, occurred
on July 29th of 1916 on Black Tom Island
near Jersey City. NJ at a site now occupied
by Liberty Island. Black Tom Island was
used to store military ammunition and
various explosives. The United States,
although providing aid to England, was
not at war and the facility had little in the
way of physical security and few guards.
The German government knew the facility
was exposed and exploited the lax security
to prevent the munitions from reaching
its enemies. The result was one of the
most spectacular explosions ever within a
U.S. port. Fortunately, the number of people
killed by this incident was minimal,
but there was loss of life and significant
physical destruction creating a public outcry.
The media picked up the cry and
Congress responded by passing the
Espionage Act. The Espionage Act of
1917 resulted in the Coast Guard being
granted the authority to regulate the
anchorage and movement of any vessel in
U.S. territorial waters including the placement
of guards on or taking full possession
of such vessels. The Coast Guard,
with this new authority, designated selected
officers as Captains of the Port or
COTPs, with direct tasking to ensure the
requirements from the new law were properly
enforced. This COTP designation has
been a primary foundation from which the
modern port security mission has evolved.
- Although the rigid enforcement of this
act waned following the conclusion of the
First World War, the authorities and the
emphasis on port security ramped up
exponentially as the United States entered
World War II. Again, the media captured
the country's interest with pictures of the
damage inflicted by German submarines
operating off of the Atlantic Coast sinking
ships in plain view of residents along the
New York shore. During World War II the
Coast Guard was deeply involved in port
security missions that supported the onload
of supply ships headed for both theaters
of operation. These operations were
most recently duplicated as the Coast
Guard supported Military On-load
Operations in strategic ports supporting
Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.
Where, just as in World War II, Coast
Guard units conducted waterside security,
worked with Army personnel loading the
vessel and ensured security along the supply
routes.

It was during World War II that
Congress specifically reinforced the role
of the COTP as the lead for enforcement
activities within their specific ports. This
occurred in 1941 while the Coast Guard
was being transferred to the War
Department specifically under the Navy.
Even while operating under the Navy, the
Coast Guard was the leading agency for
port security. Who can forget the pictures
of Coast Guard patrols, complete
with handler and dog, walking the
beaches on both coasts? The number of
Coast Guard personnel on active duty,
during World War II. grew to 241,093
with 22% or 53,040 (Note 3) specifically
assigned to port security duties a significant
difference from the 39.000
active duty men and women currently
serving in the Coast Guard worldwide.
Following the end of World War II and
the reduction in force, the Coast Guard
again returned to the traditional mission
mix. At the same time that this was
occurring the political landscape of the
world was continuing to change with the
rise in power of communism in several
locations. With the United States entry
into the Korean conflict. Congress again
looked at the ports as being a potential
critical vulnerability and responded by
reinforcing the authorities under the
Espionage Act by enacting the
Magnuson Act. The act expanded the
Coast Guard's authorities beyond the
limited scope of the Espionage Act to
include protection of vessels, harbors,
ports and waterfront facilities in the U.S.
From this law spawned the COTP's
authority to establish and enforce security
zones. After the Korean War ended
and throughout the Cold War emphasis
on port security remained, but not as a
top priority within the Coast Guard, as
new missions were added with little
growth in personnel or funds. Instead,
port safety became increasingly important
to COTPs as they sought to ensure
the safe operation of commercial vessels
and facilities. Still, port security operations
continued, primarily as a mission
for the Coast Guard Reserve in support
of military out loads.

Following 9-11, the Coast Guard
responded immediately deploying its
fleet of small boats and cutters to protect
the nation's ports and waterways from
acts of terrorism; once again port security
became a top priority for the service.
Congress also acted quickly in support
of the Coast Guard, passing the
Maritime Transportation Security Act of
2002 (MTSA). This massive 592-page
bill expanded and reinforced the Coast
Guard's authority, responsibility and
leadership role for port security. It may
be viewed as the final maturation of the
Coast Guard's port security authorities
into one comprehensive and overarching
mosaic. The MTSA also solidified the
responsibility that waterfront facility
and vessel owners and operators have
for their own security.

The act, which comes into full effect
on July 1st 2004, gives the COTP clear
authority to enforce requirements for
vessels and waterfront facilities that
have the potential for a "transportation
security incident" (i.e., a significant loss
of life, economic loss of environmental
impact) to develop and implement security
plans. The act further designates the
COTP as the Federal Maritime Security
Coordinator or FMSC responsible for
forming a committee of port security
stakeholders (Federal, state, local and
industry) to develop, implement and
exercise maritime security plans for
their respective zones.

The result of MTSA has been a partnership
that has created a formidable
layered defense within the 47 COTP
zones in the United States. The first
layer is the internal security mandated
by law and implemented by facilities
and vessels. Local law enforcement and
the Coast Guard provide the next layer
conducting water and shore side patrols
in the ports and waterways. The layers
then expand outward as the Coast
Guard, Navy and other Federal agencies
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